Thursday, October 02, 2003

By Monica Haynes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

The room buzzed with Spanish. Peruvians talked with Mexicans, who conversed with Venezuelans, who laughed it up with Cubans and other Latin Americans, all of whom have made their way to Pittsburgh for one reason or another.

	Flor Fernandez, center, listens to her friend Wilmer Diaz, left, with two of her three daughters, Ivanna Vargas, 6, center, and Adriana Vargas, 7, at the Latin American Information Fair at St. Hyacinth Church, Oakland. Fernandez, originally from Peru, and Diaz from Honduras, both live in Plum. (Martha Rial, Post-Gazette)

Some have been here for more than a decade, others only a month. But on a Sunday afternoon following a Mass conducted in Spanish, they found a sense of community.

Al Servicio de la Comunidad, sponsored by the Latino Catholic Community of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, provides opportunidad, informacion and comunidad for the area's Latin American population.

The fair, in its second year, attracted nearly 200 people, most of whom also attended the preceding Mass at St. Hyacinth Church on Craft Place in Oakland.

They gathered up pamphlets and fliers and conversed in Spanish with representatives from 30-some groups, organizations and agencies, including the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Hispanic Center, the Urban League and the Pittsburgh Regional Assistance Center.

"The Latin-American community deserves to have this fair," said German Matos, who was manning the booth of Coro Latinamericano, a 20-member choir that sings traditional Latin American music.

"We want to share our cultural heritage. Music is a good way to reach everybody," said Matos, who is president of the choir and lives in Highland Park.

His wife, Irene, said the fair is one of the few opportunities to share among the Hispanic community what is available not only in terms of jobs but also entertainment and culture.

Cesar Vargas and his family were taking in a little bit of everything as they visited the various tables. His main focus, however, was information on health care and English classes. Vargas moved to Plum about a month ago from Atlanta with his wife, Flor Fernandez, and three daughters, Ximena, 9, Adriana, 7, and Ivanna, 6. Originally from Peru, he has been in the United States for two years.

"Somebody told me about this," said Vargas, who installs hardwood floors for a living. He said the fair is important because a lot of Latin Americans in the area don't know what's available to them.

Making sure those at the fair knew about the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council was Douglas Masiroff, its area coordinator.

"We're looking to involve more Latin American people in our program," Masiroff said.

In addition to its other programs, the council teaches English as a second language. Masiroff, who speaks Spanish, put together fliers about the council in Spanish for the fair. He also touted the council's new Web pages, which are available in Spanish.

Juventino Gomez understands English; he just doesn't speak it very well. A native of Mexico, he moved to Oakland two years ago. The 30-year-old, who cleans theaters at night, sought information on immigration and jobs.

Jaqueline Martinez of the JBM Immigration Group said she gets a lot of queries about those two subjects.

"The question I get asked the most is, 'How do I get a work permit?' " Martinez said. "They're not coming here to sit around; they're coming here to work."

She said the United States can put fences around every border but that won't stop people from entering the country to seek a better life. Martinez noted that California Gov. Gray Davis recently signed a law that allows illegal immigrants to get a driver's license. She said the United States should take that same stance when it comes to illegal immigrants working.

"People are going to work. Let's make it feasible for them to do it, legally," Martinez said. "Why not regulate that they're getting minimum wage? Why not regulate that they're trained?"

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